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Welcome to today's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, December 30, 2001
Best wishes for a year full of happiness, health and peace, from the staff at
Sharper Training Solutions.
Happy New Year!
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Take a look at the Featured Website section for lots of interesting and fun New Years links.
In this Issue:
Featured Computer Term: Spam
Topic: Eliminating Junk Email
Progressive Learning Series: Finding Lost Toolbars
Featured Website: New Year's
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Today's Featured Computer Term: Spam
Spam is electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings.
Some people define spam even more generally as any unsolicited e-mail. Real spam is generally e-mail advertising for some product or website sent to an email address, mailing list or newsgroup.
In addition to wasting people's time with unwanted e-mail, spam also eats up a lot of network bandwidth. Consequently, there are many organizations, as well as individuals, who have taken it upon themselves to fight spam with a variety of techniques. But because the Internet is public, there is really little that can be done to prevent spam, just as it is impossible to prevent junk mail. However, some private online services, such America Online, have instituted policies to prevent spammers from spamming their subscribers.
There is some debate about the source of the term, but the generally accepted version is that it comes from the Monty Python song.
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Today's Topic: Eliminating Junk Email
Thanks to newsletter subscriber Anne for the following question.
I seem to be getting junk e-mails, many of an adult nature, which I can recognize from the "subject" line. I then delete without reading. How did I get them, and how do I get rid of them for good?
Answer:
Unfortunately, this is something that everyone gets. If you’re an America Online member, and if the spam (junk email) is from an AOL address, forward them to the AOL address TOSSPAM. That will stop spam from that AOL member.
If they're from outside of AOL, you can block the email address using AOL's mail controls -- go to keyword Mail Controls -- then go into "block from address." This will shut off all mail from that particular address. You can keep adding addresses to your block list -- unfortunately, the "spammers" (people who send junk email) keep getting new addresses to use.
For other Email programs, check with your Internet Service Provider for steps on blocking unwanted email and spam.
Steps You Can Take to Reduce Spam
Don’t use your email address to register anywhere -- for example, when you shop online, or go to a site that requires you to register, don't use the email address that you give to friends and family. Create a new email address -- free -- in yahoo, hotmail, lycos or one of those. If you happen to register at a website that sells email address, your free address (that you don’t use) will be the one that will get all the junk email.
Never respond to a spammer! Some junk email will tell you to respond to be removed from the mailing list. DON’T DO IT! Your response only confirms that your address is a live email address and that will generate even more junk email. Ignore or delete junk email.
Reminder: Never give your password to anyone. If a spammer gets your password, he can then use your email address to send junk mail.
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Progressive Learning Series: Microsoft Word - Finding Lost Toolbars
Thanks to newsletter subscriber Joy for the following question:
I lost my toolbars in Word. How can I get them back in the Window?
Answer:
Most Windows applications have some kind of toolbar. That's the row, or rows, of buttons usually found across the top of the program between the menu bar and the workspace.
In most programs, the toolbars are accessible in the View menu. Click on View and, depending on which program you’re in, you may see the toolbars listed individually, or you may have to first point to Toolbars to display the choices.
You’ll see a list of the available toolbars. The toolbars that are currently displayed will have a check mark next to them. Your toolbar is not displayed because it’s been turned off; to turn it back on, simply click on it. This will close the menu and display the toolbar. If more than one toolbar is missing, follow these steps again. You will then see the missing toolbar reappear on the screen.
If you display a toolbar that you don’t want on the screen, follow these steps and click on it again to turn it off.
Occasionally the toolbar will reappear in a place you don’t want it, for example, in the middle of your workspace. You can drag the toolbar back to the top by pointing the mouse arrow at the toolbar’s title bar (blue bar across the top), holding the left mouse button and moving it toward the top of the window. Release the button at the desired location.
The toolbars that are typically displayed in most programs, and are the handiest to have on the screen, are the Standard and Formatting toolbars. The Standard toolbar will have shortcut buttons to Save, Print, Undo, Spell check and more. The Formatting toolbar will contain shortcut buttons that allow you to make changes to the appearance of your document, for example, fonts, justification, and bolding.
The toolbars allow GUI (pronounced gooey) control to perform an action so that you don't need to navigate through menus. GUI stands for Graphic User Interface, which is another way of saying that you can see pictures and click on them.
Point the mouse arrow on a toolbar button and you'll see the name of the button. Click on the button and it will carry out that command for you -- usually in fewer clicks than it would take going through the menus.
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Today's Featured Website: New Year's
How to Keep Your New Year's Resolution. This website takes a look at some common New Year resolutions and provides suggestions for how to keep them.
http://www.how-to-keep-your-new-years-resolution.com/
For history, customs and traditions of the holiday, take a look at the
Holiday Spot website, where you can also learn how to say Happy New Year in 37 languages.
http://www.theholidayspot.com/newyear/
At timeanddate.com, you'll see a countdown to the New Year customizable to your time zone. Change to your time zone, click on the live applet link and watch those seconds ticking away.
http://www.timeanddate.com/counters/newyear.html
Just why should you forget your old acquaintances? Get the background behind 'Auld Lang Syne' and an explanation of the lyrics in historical and linguistic context.
http://www.robertburns.org/encyclopedia/AuldLangSyne.5.html
For lyrics and an audio file of the famous song.
http://ingeb.org/songs/shouldau.html
New Year's Eve in New York City. See Times Square and get info on many of this year's activities.
http://www.nyctourist.com/newyears1.htm
New Year's Eve in Times Square. The most celebrated New Year?s Eve party in the world will be in Times Square, New York City, on December 31, 2001!
http://www.timessquarebid.org/new_year/
For calendar-making ideas, coloring pages, desktop themes, and ideas for fun refreshments for the children, take a look at Billy Bear's Happy New Year's website.
http://www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/newyears/fun.htm
Send an online greeting card:
http://free.bluemountain.com/cdb/HDY/WNH/NEW/index.html
http://www.cyber-cards.net/gbrowse.php?cat_id=21
http://www.goldwatermark.com/pc/newyear.html |
